There are few times of the year I like better than this time right now. Warmer weather… (of course which brings growing grass and lawn mowing with it)… budding trees and flowers (of course, those also bring the sneezing and watery eyes of hay fever)… Spring Break family vacations (of course those can be SO expensive and crazy!)… NCAA basketball tournament in full swing (of course that can sometimes mean heartbreak and disappointment, especially if you are a Missouri fan)… longer daylight (which, of course, messes with your sleep cycles)… and everything else that is wonderful and joyous (or not) about the season!

Perspectives are important, aren’t they? Everyone’s got one. Look at the picture I’ve attached here; what do you see; a rabbit? Or a duck? Which is right?

The wonder of it all is that God freely gives us this world and the seasons and events of our lives and – in trust and love – allows us to choose the relationship we will take to all he has provided. My prayer today is that we can choose to say “thank you” for the gifts we have received so abundantly from God’s hand and wait to pass judgment on those that don’t seem so much like gifts.

Furthering our conversation on fasting, I would like to share this item a friend sent to me. It offers two perspectives on fasting that I found particularly inspiring:

Fast from judging others; feast on the Christ dwelling in them. • Fast from emphasis on differences; feast on the unity of life. • Fast from apparent darkness; feast on the reality of light. • Fast from thoughts of illness; feast on the healing power of God. • Fast from words that pollute; feast on phrases that purify. • Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude. • Fast from anger; feast on patience. • Fast from pessimism; feast on optimism. • Fast from worry; feast on divine order. • Fast from complaining; feast on appreciation. • Fast from negatives; feast on affirmatives. • Fast from unrelenting pressures; feast on unceasing prayer. • Fast from hostility; feast on non-resistance. • Fast from bitterness; feast on forgiveness. • Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion for others. • Fast from personal anxiety; feast on eternal truth. • Fast from discouragements; feast on hope. • Fast from facts that depress; feast on verities that uplift. • Fast from lethargy; feast on enthusiasm. • Fast from thoughts that weaken; feast on promises that inspire. • Fast from shadows of sorrow; feast on the sunlight of serenity. • Fast from idle gossip; feast on purposeful silence. • Fast from problems that overwhelm; feast on prayer that undergirds.